Documents: Code violations found at 15 re-inspected schools

A Freedom of Information request by News 12 has revealed that at least 15 Rockland County schools that were re-inspected for safety issues were found riddled with code violations within the past two months.

The private schools had initially been given a clean safety record by former Ramapo fire inspector Adam Peltz.

At Bais Yakov in Monsey, an inspector listed 45 violations, ranging from broken exit doors to expired extinguishers. The yeshiva Bais Mikeoh was reportedly found with illegal deadbolts and missing carbon monoxide detectors. A yeshiva owned by Congregation Ateres Yisroel was shut down by the town due to violations.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day has questioned why Peltz chose not to document the problems.

"I think given the fact he betrayed the safety of children and firefighters, he should have been fired," says Day.

Peltz was demoted, and the state ordered Rockland County to re-inspect the 49 schools in question, which also include some Catholic schools.

Day says he hopes to complete the process by the end of the month.

The county executive has also dismissed claims from a newly formed group of yeshivas that the entire re-inspection campaign is anti-Semitic.